How Elites Ate the Social Justice Movement with Freddie deBoer

Over the last decade we’ve seen the rise of a wide range of social justice movements, from Occupy Wall Street to Me Too to Black Lives Matter. Where are those movements now and what impact have they had? 

In his new book “How the Elites Ate the Social Justice Movement” Freddie DeBoer explores these questions. Freddie argues that in the digital age, social movements flare up but then lose steam through a lack of tangible goals, the inherent moderating effects of our established institutions and political parties, and the lack of any real grassroots movement in contemporary America. Hidden beneath the rhetoric of the oppressed and the symbolism of the downtrodden lies the inconvenient fact that those doing the organizing, messaging, protesting, and campaigning are predominantly drawn from this country’s more upwardly mobile educated classes.

 DeBoer lays out an alternative vision for how society’s winners can contribute to social justice movements without taking them over, and how activists and their organizations can become more resistant to the influence of elites, nonprofits, corporations, and political parties. He argues that only by organizing around class rather than empty gestures can we begin the hard work of changing minds and driving policy.

 In my conversation with Freddie we discuss his takes on why the Bernie Sanders campaigns failed, illiberalism and intolerance among the activist left, the quiet expiration of the Child Tax Credit, why Freddie favors a much more open immigration policy, and more. 

 I hope you enjoy the discussion. Please remember to like, follow and share the show. Enjoy

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Bio:
Fredrik deBoer is the author of The Cult of Smart, a book about meritocracy, education, and the potential for a more humane society. It was selected by New York magazine as one of its Ten Best Books of 2020. He holds a PhD in English from Purdue University, where he concentrated on assessment of student learning. He lives in Brooklyn with his girlfriend and his cat Suavecito.

Book:
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/How-Elites-Ate-the-Social-Justice-Movement/Fredrik-deBoer/9781668016015

Substack:
https://substack.com/@freddiedeboer

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